Vocabulary Building

Ideas for Vocabulary Building

Goal

To learn vocabulary at the end of a chapter, before a test, when introducing vocabulary, previewing, reviewing, or studying.

The idea is to look at three different ways to teach students study skills while having them learn the content vocabulary.

Level could be all, it just depends on the student's technical aptitude.

Types

Flash Cards

Flash cards are tried and true, so how does technology improve it? Well. Very well. You can add media, share, and use premade programs to play games, review, drill, spell the words you want to learn.

Quizlet

Example of the whole flash card set.

Drillster

Drillster is a little bit more intense. Better maybe for those machines who want to study TOEFL or GRE.

The example is an Educational Psychology flash card set. It can have media as well as multiple columns for definitions.

Mind Map

Connect the words in sentences. Really useful for a set of words that have a shared theme. Really illustrates the point that a word is not used in a singular fashion.

Popplet 

...is cool. It is a mind map that is really easy to use. You can have multiple people working on it too.  

This is an example that was done with the whole class. Notice how all the words weren't used but could have been. It was fun being able to move things around and connect it.

Prezi-Typically a presentation tool (blogged about it here), but it could easily become a mind map as well.

An in Depth Look

Go into more detail on those really difficult words. Take a look at the definition, translation (depends on your view of the use of translations obviously), synonyms, antonyms, the root and the derivatives from the roots, an example sentence, and a picture.

Presentation tool/ Word Processor (Google docs, Zoho, PowerPoint, Word, Open Office, etc.)
Example

Popplet
Example



Prezi could also be used for this as well. An added advantage might be a video embedded as well.

How to Use

Hopefully a lot of these are self explanatory but here are two ways:

One is to assign it as a project. This way you don't necessarily need a class with a computer or whatever. Have students bring in a copy or their computer to share with other students as partners. It can be assigned individually or let them choose their favorite method.

Another way is to build it together as a class. Have the students make the pieces of the parts individually and then as a class come together and build one set.  This is good as a precursor to an individual project because you are giving the scaffolding to do the project individually later.

If you come up with any other uses or programs, please share!

Prezi and QR

Prezi+QR

What it is...

This week I made a Prezi. I admit it wasn't the first time I've used it, but it is definitely the best I've made. It is also connected with a QR code information gap activity for some production.

Prezi is a presentation tool that zooms.

If you don't know what a QR code is, check this out.

If you want a list of QR code readers for smart phones, check this out. iOS, Droid, Black Berry.

In a nut shell, the idea is that students know about "didja" or "didya"

Level

High beginner to low intermediate

Materials

• Computer and projector for the Prezi.
• Each student (or half) needs to have a QR Code reader or even half. If not, the QR part can be removed.
• Handouts.

I+1

Students will need to at least have been introduced to past simple verbs and how to make a question with them. Knowing short and long answers are also helpful.

Goals

Students will recognize and use relaxed pronunciation in past simple questions.

Students will understand that

• There is informal and formal speech and when to use it
• There are rules to relaxed pronunciation

Students will be able to…

• Pronounce “did” with pronouns in questions
• Listen to informal register using “did”

Students will know…

• Relaxed Pronunciation
• Past simple questions and answers

Lesson Plan

Go over the Prezi. Let them hear the examples and ask questions.

Did ya? on Prezi

Follow up with the QR code activity. It tells a little story. I had the students go around the room and ask each other, looking for the answer to their question. The students can then copy down each other's questions.

What to Take Away

Prezi is a pretty fun way to do presentations. I still see the use of PowerPoint in that it can have individual moving text. The benefit of Prezi is that it A) looks cool, and B) gives students a bigger question and reviews often. Check out a list of benefits and disadvantages for Prezi here.

QR code is interesting. I'd been using it to just have students look at a website or something else. It could potentially be used as a link to have students follow along on for a Prezi, which is one of the functions of it.  It seems like a cool information gap activity. It might also work well for a scavenger hunt activity as well.

Revealing Attitudes

Revealing Attitudes about Writing

Introduction

This is a little exercise that I have done on a first day of a writing class to spark conversation and get students to really let you know how they feel about writing. I got this idea after reading an old, but good, article about writing.

Goals

• Reveal student attitudes to writing
• Icebreaker
• Preview
• Journal
• Motivate

Preparation

First make a Poll Everywhere account. Make a new poll with the question "How do you feel about writing?"

You can keep it open ended or have multiple choice answers such as:

• I'd rather do something less painful like jump off a bridge.
• I'll do it, but complain bitterly because I'm bored.
• I like it okay if the topic is good.
• Why aren't we writing right now? My pen aches!

Or even hate, dislike, like, love could be answers.

A journal entry work sheet

In Class

1. Have students take the survey and see each others results. (If you don't have a computer screen/ projector, write out or hand out the instructions. You can then see the results on your phone or laptop or whatever and read them to the class)
2. Discuss answers after reading the results and find out what students like and don't like about writing.
3. Follow up with the journal entry work sheet where you discuss the following quote and then write.

"A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket." -Charles Peguy

Let's Do This

I Pledge

I hereby pledge to create an ESL activity, project, lecture, conversation, whatever, that integrates technology in the classroom. I pledge to update once a week (or untill I want to blow my brains out).

Activities will be conscientiousness of resources that teachers have. Activities will be easy to use, regardless of teacher/student skill with technology. Activities will engage students and immerse them in an activity to pull the idea apart and play.